Snout-piercing tool.



No. 823,519. I PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906." I I D. FALGONER.

SNOUT PIEROING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1906.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

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To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID FALOONER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Livingstonand State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snout-Piercing Tools, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to improvements in snout-piercing tools and my object is to provide a tool for cutting at a single operation a slit between the cartilage and nose of a hog in order to prevent the latter from rooting. The tool is adjustable so that the length of the slit may be varied according to the size of the hog.

The invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, and in order that it may be fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the tool in an operative position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken View of the lower jaw of the tool. Fig. 3 is a broken View of the same, showing the outer side of said jaw. Fig. 4 is a broken lan view of the upper blade-carryfthe tool. Fig. 5 is a front eleva- In said drawings, 1 designates the tool, which is shaped like a pair of pliers, and consists of a pair of handles 2 2 pivotally secured together at their forward portions by a rivet 3 and provided with an upper jaw 4 and a lower jaw 5. Jaw 5 is provided at its inner side with a segmental gage 6, rising above its face and adapted to snugly fit the cartilage forming the snout and thus hold the tool in proper position for making themcision. Said jawis also provided with a segmental slot 7, arranged'concentrically with gage 6 and provided for the reception of a segmental blade 8, said blade being segmental in ordertofit the upper portion of the hogs nose, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper portion of blade 8 snugly fits within a recess 9 in the forward portion of jaw 4, which latter is provided at its opposite sides with shoulders 10 which embrace the vertical edges of the blade, and thus reliably hold it from lateral movement. The blade is adjustably secured in said recess 9 by means of a screw 11,which extends throu h a slot 12 in the upper ortion of the blade, said slot being provide for the purpose of permitting vertical adjustment of said blade. The cutting edges 13 of the blade converge and terminate in a point 14, which facilitates the operation of forcing said blade through the snout. The length of the incision may be increased by lowering the blade until the upper end of the slot 12 contacts with screw 1 1 or diminished by raising said blade until the lower end of the slot contacts with the screw, as it is obvious that when said blade is raisedit will not enter slot 7 to the same depth that it would when lowered. The length of the incision may also be varied through the instrumentality of an adjustable stop screw 15, extending through a threaded aperture in handle 2 and having its inner end arranged in the path of handle 2 in order to limit the closing movement of the latter.

The tool is normally held in an open position by means of an expansion-sprin 16, in-. terposed between the handles and em racing pins 17, extending inwardly from said handles, for e purpose of reliably holding the spring in positio By making an incision between the nose and the snout as above described the loose cartilage will protect the tender portion of the nose until the hog starts'to root, when said loose portion will be pressed away from .and thus expose the tender part of the nose,

which effectually causes the hog t0 desist in its efforts to root. I, find by practice that this form of treatment is much more efiective than that of inserting a ring in the snout, because when the latter method is employed the snout soon heals around the ring and fails to prevent rootin In practice the tool is placed in position with the flat inner surface of jaw 5 bearing against the front surface of the nose and the gage 6 snugly embracing the ridge of cartilage forming the snout. Handle 2 is then pressed toward handle 2 until the inner end of adjusting-screw 15 abuts against the lat-' ter. The movement of handle 2" forces blade 8 through the snout and, into slot 7,-

thus forming the incision above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. A tool of the character described consisting of a pair of handles pivotally secured together, jaws integral with said handles, the forward end -of one of said jaws having a curved recess, shoulders integral with said forward end and arranged at o posite sides of the recess, a segmental bla e secured in IIO the recess and abutting at its sides against slot, and a concave blade secured to the op- 10 the shoulders, andthe other jaw having a posing jaw and adapted to enter said slot. curved slot adapted to receive said blade. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2. A tool of the character described 0011- in the presence of two witnesses. 5 sisting of a pair of handles pivotally secured together, jaws integral therewith, one of said ID LALCONER' jaws being provided with a curved slot, a Witnesses:

gage integral with said jaw rising above its F. G. FISCHER,

face and arranged concentrically with the J. MOORE. 

